President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has appointed Gen. Andres Centino as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Malacañang announced on Friday.
Centino, who already served the same position from November 12, 2021 to August 8, 2022, replaced Lt. Gen. Bartolome Bacarro after taking his oath of office before Marcos.
During his first stint as AFP chief of staff, Centino implemented four major thrusts within the military, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said Friday.
These included the operational efficiency, optimal use of resources, advancement of professionalism and meritocracy within the organization, and capability development.
According to PCO, the AFP successfully launched military campaigns to combat insurgents and local terrorist groups resulting in the dismantling of New People's Army (NPA) guerilla fronts and the clearing of affected communities under Centino's leadership.
"Centino pushed for the completion of capability projects as part of the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Also, during his tenure, he led the units of the Armed Forces nationwide in advancing the peaceful and orderly conduct of the Philippine 2022 national and local elections," it added.
Before leading the AFP, Centino served as Commanding General of the Philippine Army from May 14, 2021 to December 10, 2021.
His previous assignments also included Commander, 4th Infantry Division, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, J3, and Commander, 401st Infantry Brigade, the PCO added.
Centino graduated cum laude from the Philippine Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1988.
He also holds a Master's in Business Management from the University of the Philippines, a Master's in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University in Washington, D.C, and a certificate in the Strategic Business Economic Program of the University of Asia and the Pacific.